Unusual tuning in Ariana Grande’s “Make Up”
It’s unusual to hear deviations from standard tuning in popular music. Ariana Grande and her group do it so sweetly here. View this post on Instagram A post shared...
A nice kluge of ideas, sounds, images, practices
Goat Girl
“Dance of Dirty Leftovers” by Goat Girl lays easygoing dissonant chords over a psychedelic swirl. Goat Girl by Goat Girl
An hour of Unusual on Clyde Built Radio
An eclectic radio show on Glasgow’s Clyde Built Radio. We listen to a song of mine, Sonic Youth, composer Allison Cameron, strange roots pop by The silt, Amps for...
James LeBaigue’s micromusic
LeBaigue’s strange pitch-shifty pop songs are one minute long and only available on his Instagram for now. View this post on Instagram A post shared by James LeBaigue (@jameslebaigue)
Jennifer Castle’s Monarch Season
Monarch Season by Canadian songwriter Jennifer Castle is out on Toronto’s Idée Fixe Records. Check out “NYC” with heavy reverb on strange harmonica. Monarch Season by Jennifer Castle
Deerhoof’s Future Teenage Cave Artists
Deerhoof’s new album on Joyful Noise Recordings is strange and ecstatic pop music. Unusual production, guitar sounds, lyrics, song structure… Deerhoof · Fraction Anthem
Blue Divers
An Australian experimental ambient group, with soft static, tape hiss, and sweet melodic murmurs. Blue Divers call to mind Jon Hassel in moments. On Bedroom Suck Records. Blue Divers...
Hotel Dilettante
Lol Coxhill & the George Burt & Raymond MacDonald Quintet with some lovely strange noises and dirty improvisation here. Also some tunes that sound like instrumental folk with very...
Big Joanie
Unusual punk band from London, Big Joanie coming out soon on Kill Rock Stars. Nice cover of Solange’s “Cranes in the Sky.” Unusual voice, drums, recording…unusual cover song. Big...
“Loveroom” by Frank Harris & Maria Marquez
Frank Harris and Maria Marquez’s “Loveroom” on Echoes (1985) is a slow dreamy pop song with shades of Sade. Available at Strangelove Music.
Gavin Bryars’ “1, 2, 1-2-3-4”
Gavin Bryars “1, 2, 1-2-3-4,” part of Brian Eno’s Obscure Records project. Lounge music was never more unusual. Hear Bryars interview on this piece on BBC.
Thurston Moore’s By the Fire
The new album by Thurston Moore: long songs with unusual sounds, deep beats, and a bright, loving vibe. Band is Deb Googe (My Bloody Valentine), Jon Leidecker aka ‘Wobbly’...
49 Americans “Involved in Local Chaos”
A bunch of experimental musicians do songs. Unusual songs.
“You” by Matmos
Matmos’s “You” on Marriage of True Minds. That doubled voice… The Marriage of True Minds by Matmos
Holy Beefheart
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band “The Host, the Ghost, the Most Holy-O” on Ice Cream for Crow. 1982.
Pipes fried for Christ
Amps for Christ “Reversed Pipes” on Electrosphere 1999. That sound and tuning is so good.
Morton Feldman’s Madame Press
“Madame Press Died Last Week at 90” is a weird and beautiful work by Feldman, here performed by John Adams conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Re-orchestrating a chord.
Horse Lords’ “Against Gravity”
Unusual tunings, rhythms, and fun with it. Listen for the Shepard-Risset glissando on “Against Gravity.” A nod to James Tenney’s “For Ann: Rising”? The Common Task by Horse Lords